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Graduation and Milestones

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  It’s graduation season, and this one is extra special for me because there is a graduate in my family. My daughter is graduating from high school. It’s so exciting to see my oldest child end one chapter and move on to a new one. You might be wondering what this has to do with brain injury. In my mind, events like graduations are like markers in my recovery. Every step, whether it is physical, or cognitive, takes effort and time. Like a graduation, it doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye or without a long-term commitment to the goal. On the physical side, I went from a wheelchair to a crutch and now walk only with a hiking pole. On the cognitive front, I am working to compensate for the losses to my short-term memory and other challenges that resulted from my traumatic brain injury. Instead of focusing on what I’ve lost, I focus on the hard work I need to invest to advance my recovery. I’m willing to put in the hard work, but the progress comes incrementally and not without fru...
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Mother's Day and accessibility Part II

Attending events at venues like a stadium makes me more conscious of how much more work remains to be done to make large scale events and venues accessible. I’m very fortunate to be able to walk, but it is still a challenge to navigate a stadium setting. While the venue was ADA compliant, I think the vast majority of stadiums could be more thoughtful in their approach. On Sunday, when the game concluded, one of the staff impatiently told me that I needed to exit quickly because the game was over.  T he reality is that I couldn’t exit quickly because there were places with no rails.  Even with rails I’m not as fast as the average person and never will be. What’s more, I need someone to walk with me for safety reasons. I’m not talking about stadium staff, I'm referencing someone at the event who accompanied me.       Some venues have a really good understanding of my needs and have dedicated ushers to walk you to your seat before the show and help you out aft...
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Mother's Day and Accessibility Part I

This post  isn’t 100% TBI related, but it’s timely because of Mother’s Day. Like many, my TBI was life changing.  Mine was also life threatening. It was far from a given that I would survive my injuries.  All moms love their kids, of course, but Mother’s Day is especially significant for me because it was not always sure that I would be here for that holiday.  I’m so thankful that I am.  We celebrated with brunch and an MLB game. More about accessibility in my next post. Attending events at venues like a stadium makes me more conscious of how much more work remains to be done to make large scale events and venues accessible. I’m very fortunate to be able to walk, but it is still a challenge to navigate a stadium setting. While the venue was ADA compliant, I think the vast majority of stadiums could be more thoughtful in their approach. On Sunday, when the game concluded, one of the staff impatiently told me that I needed to exit quickly because the game was ove...
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Anniversaries

     People note anniversaries of all kinds. Of course birthdays are anniversaries. So too are wedding anniversaries. And, in Judaism, we mark the anniversary of a loved one's death (called a yarzheit).        Today is the 9th anniversary of the accident that caused my traumatic brain injury. Some people might get upset or depressed on such anniversary. But I look at it through a different lens. I'm thankful. Thankful that I survived; thankful that I'm thriving; thankful to be present for my amazing children and surrounded by loved ones and friends. So, on this anniversary, and those that follow, I choose to be thankful for how far I've come since April 24, 2016, and looking ahead to meeting new goals for the next anniversary.
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Brain Injury prevalence and awareness

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            B efore the month is over (time does seem to go faster the older you get), it seems worth noting that March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month. I wish it was a Hallmark holiday like Boss’s Day(isn’t every day Boss’s day?), but for me and the 2.8 million Americans that suffer a TBI each year ( ref ),  it  is not a holiday but instead a journey and a lifelong one at that. Though TBIs have similarities, each TBI is distinct and impacts the patient differently. TBIs can be the result of car accidents; sports injuries resulting in mild concussions to a permanent severe brain injury.      Beyond the impact on the patient is the impact on the family and community of the patient (work; religious; friends; etc,) Suffering a TBI is not like stitches or a broken bone. For many, including me, the “after” won’t ever be like the “ before.”  For me, it’s a matter of accepting that reality and putting1000% into reclaimi...
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JDAIM

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 JDAIM      February is JDAIM (Jewish Disability Awareness Inclusion Month).      I fit squarely in the target group for this month as a Jew with a disability.  Of course it's nice to think that everyone should want to be kind to people with disabilities in February or every other month and regardless of their faith.      In Judaism, the Hebrew phrase" B'tzelem Elohim" comes from the Torah. In Genesis 1:27 it is explained that all people are created in God's image. If everyone is created in God's image, then we each should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of our differences.      T here are all types of disabilities and all types of accommodations that synagogues can offer those who come to worship that carry through the teaching of B'tzelem Elohim. Wheelchair accessibility is obvious. It would probably be easy to find someone to sign the service in ASL for deaf congregants. For those with vision challen...
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Gingerbread party 2024

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    I'm really late with this post.      For about fifteen years I have been hosting a gingerbread holiday party at my house. It started out as about ten people including a few kids and adults decorating homemade gingerbread houses. These homemade houses require nine cups of flour, two cups of molasses and are baked over the course of a full day in stainless steel molds that I have had for over a decade. Over time, the party has grown to about seventy guests, mainly because the kids have more friends and their families are invited as well as my friends and their families. We still bake a few houses in the stainless steel molds, but I admit that I buy the rest pre-assembled. At the party, the kids decorate their houses(I’m pretty sure that as much candy goes on the houses as in their mouths.) For many people who suffer a traumatic brain injury one of the resulting impacts is perseveration. Generally speaking, perseverating manifests as the...
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